Rock Climbing

Rock Climbing

I have recently become a rock climbing enthusiast and there are ample nearby areas to enjoy the sport at if you have the proper training. On those nice, sunny days Seattle gets during the few months of summer, you’ll find people scaling rock all around the Seattle area. The closest areas are exit 32 and exit 38 along I-90, and Index along highway 2. For weekend trips, you may venture east across the mountains to Leavenworth or Vantage; south to the Tieton river area or Smith Rock in Oregon; or north to Washington Pass or Squamish in British Columbia. There are guidebooks and websites available to provide route information for all of these areas. Refer to the guidebooks and websites to determine if the area has the type of rock climbing you are looking for – top rope, sport, or trad; slab, crack, or face climbing.

If you don’t have the time to drive to one of these natural areas, there are several climbing walls and gyms in the area too. If you are interested in climbing or want to learn skills, browse the various classes offered by both the indoor climbing gyms and climbing organizations.

Guide Sources

The books listed below can be purchased in most local climbing stores, such as REI or Second Ascent. Some may also be available through nationwide distributors such as Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble. A couple of additional general Washington guidebooks are:

• Rock Climbing Washington by Jeff Smoot, ISBN 0762736615
• Weekend Rock: Washington by David Whitelaw, ISBN 0898869846